


Pretty in Blue

by DragonOfKirkwall



Category: Helix Waltz (Video Game)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-01-17
Updated: 2019-07-24
Packaged: 2019-10-11 19:27:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,044
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17452874
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DragonOfKirkwall/pseuds/DragonOfKirkwall
Summary: Tired of always relying on the strength of others, Magda takes the matter of the slums into her own hands. Disguising herself at the brothel with the help of Hosta, she’s determined to find the man responsible for the civilian disappearances. Blackgloves, as always, complicates matters but he also might be her only hope when she becomes the next target of the very man she’s trying to stop.





	1. The Brothel

**Author's Note:**

> Here’s my first multi-chartered fic I’ve written on this site. It takes place kind of during Chapter 6 of the story, so spoilers if you haven’t made it that far yet. 
> 
> The rating will hit M in future chapters for sexy times with BG, but I’ll leave a warning before hand if that isn’t your cup of tea. Enjoy! 
> 
> -this was originally posted on the Helix Waltz Fanfic & Fanart 16+ group page. Future chapters will also be uploaded there first. If you want to be the first to read this as I write it, be sure to check us out over there-

Ladies would never be caught dead in the slums, and yet here she was. Magda had been born here, raised here. She glanced at the brothel as she passed it, at the ladies dressed in colorful yet revealing clothing, mimicking the upper class to entice men into their grasps; in another life, if it wasn’t for Lady Ellenstein, she could be one of those women.

Not that there was anything wrong with the profession; Magda understood that sometimes women needed to do undesirable things to provide for themselves and their families. Many of the ladies of the red district she would even go so far as to count amongst her friends. 

And that was why she was here, because of that friendship. 

“Excuse me,” she called to one of the ladies standing outside the brothel, “would you mind pointing me in the direction of Miss Hosta?” 

The girl gave her a confused stare but nodded and led her inside. Hosta sat at a table writing something and looked up when Magda entered. She gave her a dazzling smile before standing to embrace her.

“Magda, my dear, what could possibly bring you to my place of business?” she asked, releasing her and motioning for her to take a seat. 

“I have a favor to ask of you.” Magda said. Hosta nodded, taking a long drag of her pipe while waiting for the young noble to continue. “You see, I-i need you to let me work here. Just for a little while.” she stammered. 

Hosta choked and coughed; of all the favors Magda could possibly ask of her, this was most definitely not what she was expecting. 

“Darling, I don’t think you understand what you’re asking.” Hosta spoke slowly. “Surely a woman of your position is not hurting for coins; why on earth would you ever desire to work in a place such as this?”

Magda blushed fiercely. “O-oh, I’m sorry. I mean, I just need to pretend to work here for a while. Go undercover, if that’s alright.” she explained. 

“May I ask what exactly would require a noblewoman to pretend to be a lady of the night for any amount of time?”

Magda swallowed hard and worried her lower lip between her teeth. She recalled the conversation she’d had with Shana a few days prior; the “king of the slums” had finally given her the intel she’d asked for about those going missing in the slums. 

“There’s a man I need to find information about. He apparently frequents this place.” Magda explained to the Hondo dancer. “I only need to stay a few days. Just to mingle with the other ladies and to listen. Please.” she begged.

Hosta breathed out a puff of smoke as she thought. It could be risky for Magda; she was young and pretty and the men who came weren’t always kind. 

“I can’t promise your safety, you know that?” she asked. Magda nodded, determination shining in her bright blue eyes.

“I must, you see. I came from here; this place was my home. The suffering has gone too far; people are going missing now. I have to do something, Miss Hosta. Please.” 

Hosta sighed but couldn’t help relenting. Magda had wormed her way into her heart and with such sincerity shining in her eyes, how could she possibly tell the young woman no? 

“Fine, but you will be staying with me, understand? If you find yourself in a pinch, simply tell the gentleman that Mistress Hosta will attend to all of his needs and he will surely leave you be.” she said. She stared long and hard at Magda before sighing and shaking her head with a little smile. “My innocent and bold little girl…” 

Magda grasped Hosta’s hands and beamed at her. “Thank you, thank you, thank you Hosta Tayu!”

Hosta waved her praise away. “Okay, okay, calm yourself, my noble girl.” She then looked Magda up and down at the clothes she wore. They were much too fine for the place they were in and frowned. “Now about your clothes…”

She held her hand out for Magda to take and led her into a bedroom next-door: her bedroom. Hosta released her and threw open her closet doors. She rifled through the dresses, stopping on a light blue number embroidered with lace and peacock feathers. She turned and held it up to Magda with a cocky smile.

“Try this on for me.” she asked. Magda eyed the piece with alarm and slowly approached Hosta. She carefully reached out and touched the fabric, stretching it between her fingers.

“This will hardly cover anything!” she exclaimed. Hosta chuckled. 

“Of course not, Magda my dear. You’ll be working in a brothel; this is the kind of things we wear.”

Magda gulped and slowly took the dress from Hosta. She cast a furtive glance at the other woman before ultimately walking to the partition and changing into it.

“Um, it’s a little large in the chest... area.” she called out. Hosta chuckled and walked to stand on the other side of the divider.

“Come, come, let me see so I can fix it for you.”“No…” came her meek voice. Hosta gently knocked on the screen. 

“Come on out. Don’t be embarrassed. I promise I’ve seen it all before.” she said coyly. Magda sighed and walked out with her hands covering her exposed chest. Hosta covered her mouth to stifle a chuckle.

“Oh, my dear. You poor thing.” she teased. She grabbed a pincushion from her desk and made note of where the dress would need to be sown. “Now change quickly so I can get this tailored for you.”

~ ~ ~

“Oh, Marta!”

Magda was standing in the center of the room holding a tray of glasses full of brandy. She was dressed in the tailored, low-cut blue dress with a pair of rugged heels she borrowed from Hosta. She stood there awkwardly, not quite sure of what she was meant to be doing. 

“Marta?”

It was much different attending this soirée compared to the balls she was used to. The hall was full of gorgeous women with bright red lipstick fawning over men of all shapes and sizes. Of all types of dress and wealth. 

“Marta! For heavens sake, did you not hear me calling you?” Helena made a point of shaking Magda as she spoke. Magda gave her a startled look before realization hit. Right, she was “Marta” for the next few days. 

“Forgive me. I was lost in thought.” she explained half-heartedly. She gave Helena an apologetic smile. The other woman shook her head good-naturedly.

“You must walk the room. Offer drinks to everyone. Smile.” she punctuated her instructions by using her finger to draw the smile in the air over her lips. Magda nodded.

“Will do.”

And she did. With a bright smile on her face, she circled the room offering drinks to all of the gentlemen and making small talk with the other working girls. She noticed Hosta’s eyes trained on her several times and it made her feel a little less nervous knowing she was being looked after.

But even with Hosta’s eyes on her, she still felt a dark chill that she was being watched by someone else. Though no matter where she looked, she couldn’t place the second stare. Figuring it was nothing more than paranoia, she tried to shake it off and continue with her work.

“Now if that ain’t the prettiest thing I’ve ever seen.” came a deep voice from her left. A rough hand grasped her by her arm and tugged her. She yelped and dropped her tray of glasses to the floor as the man pulled her into his lap. “Come here and gimme a kiss.”

Magda’s eyes widened in fear and she threw her arms up to stop him. 

“No, please! I-if you let me go, M-mistress Hosta will attend to a-all of your needs.” she stammered but the man seemed to either not hear her or not care. He drunkenly laughed and sloppily placed kisses on her neck. Magda blushed and frantically looked around for help.

“Sir, I do believe you’re making the woman uncomfortable.” came another voice. A gloved hand carefully removed the drunken patron from Magda and lifted her out of his lap. Her heart was beating a mile a minute as she looked up into the deep red eyes of her savior. 

“And I do hate to see a pretty lady in trouble.” Black Gloves stated, pressing a kiss to her hand. “Do allow me to enjoy your services for the evening, my lady.”

Magda was at a loss for words. She wasn’t expecting to see the casino owner at the brothel, though given his notoriety, she realized she probably shouldn’t be all that surprised. 

Hoping he hadn’t recognized her under the heavy makeup and dyed hair, she lowered her head as she curtsied. 

“Forgive me, sir, but I am only here to serve drinks to the patrons. Mistress Hosta would be willing to attend to all of your needs in my place.” she explained. Black Gloves chuckled, smirking at her. 

“Nonsense. Hosta is a dear friend of mine and assured me that I could have my pick of the women here tonight. I do believe I want you.” he replied, leaning down to say it into her ear. Magda felt a shiver run down her spine along with a bit of fear. What was she to do now? Hosta’s words hadn’t worked and despite their brief acquaintanceship, Magda didn’t really know Black Gloves all that well. Or what he was capable of.

“If you’d only let me speak with her for a moment before—”

“Come.” he demanded, interrupting her and gently tugging her toward one of the back rooms. “I promise to show you a real good time.” 

He gave her a boyish grin as he led her out of the hall. She glanced around trying to find either Hosta or Helena, but neither woman seemed to be within her eyesight. Perhaps she could fake an emergency. Or ask to go to the bathroom first. Something, anything. All she had to do was think, Magda!

“Here we are.” Black Glove said, stopping in front of one of the rooms. Magda’s voice was caught in her throat and she dragged her feet as Black Glove led her inside. 

Her heart was beating a mile a minute as she walked into the center of the room. It was small with a dingy bed shoved up against the wall. 

“I want you on the bed.” came a dark, sultry voice from behind her. Black Glove’s warm body came up behind her, one hand running down her arm and the other grasping her waist. He leaned down to press a kiss against her exposed neck. 

“I-i have to go to the bathroom.” she stammered out. Black Glove chuckled and gently pushed her forward.

“I want you on your hands and knees.”

“Please, sir—”

Black Glove spun her around and shoved his mouth against hers. Magda stood there, fear keeping her immobilized, but the warmness crawling down her chest had other ideas. He lifted her up and onto the bed, pushing her down and continuing to kiss her, slanting his mouth harshly against her own.

She couldn’t help herself as she responded. His tongue pressed against her lips and she opened her mouth to let him in. One of his hands cupped her face and the other grasped her breast roughly but not exactly unpleasantly. Magda gasped and he kissed down her neck and down to her clothed chest. 

“Believe me, I was quite surprised to see you working in a place like this, kitten.” his husky voice whispered between kisses and Magda’s eyes widened. She pushed away from him and glared.

“You know?” she demanded bewildered. He chuckled and nodded his head, tracing circles up and down her arm with his index finger.

“Of course! I would recognize my little kitten anywhere.” he teased, kissing her collarbone one more time. “Now the question is, why are you here?”


	2. Targeted

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tired of always relying on the strength of others, Magda takes the matter of the slums into her own hands. Disguising herself at the brothel with the help of Hosta, she’s determined to find the man responsible for the civilian disappearances. Blackgloves, as always, complicates matters but he also might be her only hope when she becomes the next target of the very man she’s trying to stop.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's part two. I'll be posting the next chapter here once I have chapter 4 written. The first place these chapters get posted is the Helix Waltz Fanfic & Fanart 16+ group (where chapter 3 is already up) so if you're interested to see more amazing work from the other creators, I highly recommend checking them out over there!

Blackgloves’ fingers gently tapped against her exposed arm as Magda struggled to find the words to explain her position to him.

“If you don’t have any particular reason, I suppose we could pick up where we left off.” he said huskily, lifting his weight back onto her slightly. Magda’s eyes widened and she roughly pushed against him while he chuckled.

“N-no!” she stammered blushing bright red.

“Ah, you finally found your voice, my little canary.”

“Stop it with the pet names.”

Blackgloves lifted a strand of her hair to his lips. “Never.”

Magda scooted out from under him and sat up against the bed’s headboard. She crossed her arms over her chest protectively and after watching her with amusement for a moment, Blackgloves joined her.

“You’ve still refrained from explaining why a young socialite like yourself has taken up residence in a brothel.” he said, watching her. Magda stubbornly refused to meet his eyes, still feeling a bit embarrassed about letting him kiss her. “Not that I’m complaining…”

“I’m trying to help.” she muttered, staring at her knees. “You and Shana, I know you’re trying to figure out what is happening to all of these people.”

“People go missing in the slums all the times. Probably human traffickers.”

I bet you’d know a whole lot about that, she thought to herself, too nervous to speak her thoughts aloud. When she finally met Blackgloves’ eyes, she figured he knew anyway.

“Maybe it’s me.” he leaned back and bent his arms to lace his hands behind his head. “Dangerous of you to come down here all by yourself. Even more so to let me get you by yourself.” he glanced at her out of the corner of his eye, something in his expression sending shivers down Magda’s spine.

“Maybe you’re next. Pretty little thing, you’d sell well.”

“Stop it.” Magda demanded, surprised that she managed to keep her voice even. “I know you’re just trying to scare me; you’re a better man than that.”

“Oh but am I?” he asked, chuckling darkly. “Maybe I’ve had my fill of capturing the innocents of the slums; perhaps I’ve decided to move on to bigger, more dangerous targets. And look at you, wrapping yourself up and presenting yourself to me without a fuss.”

He moved too quick for Magda to react properly. His hands grasped her wrists and held them over her head while one knee propped itself between her legs as he hovered over her. A scream died in her throat as she stared at him.

She really didn’t know who this man was, did she?

Blackgloves leaned in, his mouth hovering over her throat. “Who’s to say I don’t feel like sampling the merchandise myself?”

“I’ll scream.”

He chuckled again, his dark hair tickling her cheek. “You’re in a brothel, kitten. People scream all the time.”

Magda willed herself not to cry and was angry as they welled up in her eyes anyway. One dripped onto Blackgloves’ head and he looked up, startled. She turned her head away from him but the damage was already done; he had seen her.

Silently, he released her and climbed off the bed. Magda didn’t expect him to apologize but was grateful at him giving her some space.

“This is a dangerous place, Lady Ellenstein. You’re not going to be able to find many friends here.” he said quietly.

“Magda!”

The door flew open and Hosta came rushing in with Foggy and Helena following close behind brandishing thick knives. She took one look at Magda on the bed in tears before turning her rage on Blackgloves.

“You slimy cockroach,” she hissed, storming over to him and grabbing him by the lapels of his jacket and pulling. Hard. “How dare you try to take advantage of an innocent waitress. Not every woman here is for your taking!”

She was at Magda’s side in a flash. “My dear one, are you alright? Did he hurt you?”

Magda shook her head and wiped the tears from her eyes. “No, no, Miss Hosta. He’s actually a fr-friend of mine. He didn’t do anything.” Except kiss me.

Foggy and Helena eyed Blackgloves warily and took several steps to put themselves between him and the door. Hosta gently searched Magda for bruises or marks of any kind. She bit her tongue at the sight of her kiss-swollen lips and turned her blazing gaze on the only man in the room.

“My dear one tells me you are a friend.” she hissed angrily at him.

“He’s the one I’m trying to help.” Magda piped up. Hosta turned her head to glance at her out of the corner of her eye. Magda swallowed the lump in her throat, finding her confidence once more. “He’s the one who let me know about all of the disappearances.”

“Why are you here? I’ve never seen you before.” Hosta demanded and Magda’s heart traitorously skipped a beat. He wasn’t one to frequent these types of establishments.

“A little bird told me a stray cat had made its way into a brothel. I was simply allowing my curiosity to lead me here.” he explained, mirth shining in his eyes. Magda rolled her eyes; that analogy was getting quite old.

Hosta was silent in thought for a moment. “As you’ve seen, it’s hard for me to both do my job and keep an eye on her.” she explained slowly. “If you truly are a friend to my Magda, I will be needing your help.”

“Oh?” he asked, raising an eyebrow expectantly. Magda figured he already had an idea of what Hosta was going to ask of him.

* * *

“My sweet, innocent, stupid noble girl.” Hosta chided as she wiped the streaked makeup from Magda’s tear-stained face. “I don’t trust him and hardly see why you do.”

“He had every opportunity to take advantage of me and didn’t.”

“I’ve heard of this man, Magda my dear. He’s no saint.” Hosta gently began to reapply the eye makeup to the other girl’s face. “I worry about you. Surely there’s something else you can do rather than pretend to be a lady of the night.”

Magda shook her head. “This is the fastest way to get information.”

“Men are more loose with their words when it comes to the women they drag into bed.” Hosta argued pointedly. “If the man who had dragged you away was anyone other than that man, I fear the thought of what might have happened. You’re not safe here.”

“But if Blackgloves keeps his word—”

“—‘if’ being the operative word here.” Hosta interrupted. Magda continued as if the older woman never spoke.

“—then you have little to worry about.” she finished. Hosta set her tools down on the vanity in her room with a sigh.

“I suppose I cannot change your mind then. Stick close to Helena; she’ll keep an eye on you.” Hosta ordered. Magda smiled warmly at her and pressed a kiss to the other woman’s cheek.

“Thank you, Miss Hosta. I appreciate your hospitality.”

Hosta scoffed as the noble scurried from the room. “As if any of this could be considered ‘hospitality’.”

She was touched by the girl’s words nonetheless. Such a sweet, innocent girl; Hosta only hoped Blackgloves was a better man than she worried he was.

Magda found Helena waiting for her outside the room. She smiled gently at Magda and looped her arm through hers.

“Shall we?” she asked in that lilting, sing-song voice of hers. Magda giggled and nodded.

“Of course, my lady.”

Helena dropped Magda off at the kitchens and waited for her to grab her tray of drinks before escorting them both back to the sitting room. Magda’s eyes quickly found Blackgloves where he sat with a woman under each arm. He gave her a secretive smirk and then winked at her. She averted her gaze and plastered a smile on her face when a man approached her for one of the glasses of champagne she carried.

The evening seemed to take an eternity to pass and Magda found herself getting frustrated with the lack of intel she’d managed to grab. Once the men who had purchased a lady for the night had left for their rooms, Magda returned to the kitchen.

A young girl not much older than herself with bright red hair and lipstick to match was leaning on one of the tables eating an apple. She smiled at Magda as she walked in.

“Marta, right?” she asked. Magda nodded. “I’m Alice.”

“Nice to meet you, Alice.”

Alice sighed and pushed a few flyaway strands of hair out of her face. “It must be so nice to only have to be a waitress in this place.”

“The pay isn’t great, but it puts food on the table.” Magda commented, feeling her heart twinge for the other woman.

“Don’t get me wrong, the pay is great, but sometimes I wish I was born anywhere but in the slums. To be able to spend my days sleeping in and my evenings dancing my cares away.”

“A noble?” Magda asked. Alice chuckled.

“Is that so wrong?”

“No, not at all.” Magda responded. “I do believe I’ve heard about Helena being able to attend with some of her… customers.”

Alice laughed. “Of course, but I’m not nearly pretty enough to be brought to a ball.”

“Nonsense.” Magda shook her head. “They’d be crazy not to. Why, If I was a n-noble,” she stumbled slightly over her words, “I’d bring you to a ball with me.” And once I get out of here, I will, she thought to herself. Alice smiled gently at her.

“You’re too kind.”

“Marta?” Hosta called, peeking her head into the kitchen. “Ah, hello Alice. Marta, it’s late. You should get some sleep.”

“I’ll be right there, Miss Hosta.”

Hosta nodded once and then was gone. Alice sighed wistfully. “And the way Hosta looks after you… you’re such a lucky creature.”

Magda didn’t really know what to say to that. She gave the other woman an awkward smile and the curtsied before making her leave. Alice watched, a sly smile curling the corners of her lips.

“With Hosta around, it’ll be a challenge, but something tells me you’re worth the wait.” she muttered, straightening and then tossing the remains of her apple in the trash before sauntering out of the kitchen.

A man waited outside the brothel for Alice to appear. He tipped his hat to her when she approached him.

“Well?”

“I’ve found your next target.” she said. He grinned, the streetlight illuminating his perfect smile.

“And?”

“She works in the brothel, but she’s untouched. Blonde and blue-eyed. Innocent and naive; I think she’s perfect.”

“How long will it take?” he asked. Alice shook her head.

“I’m not sure. Hosta tends to watch her, but if I can earn her trust, it’ll be easier.”

The man nodded. “I look forward to your results.”


	3. You Can't Protect Everyone

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tired of always relying on the strength of others, Magda takes the matter of the slums into her own hands. Disguising herself at the brothel with the help of Hosta, she’s determined to find the man responsible for the civilian disappearances. Blackgloves, as always, complicates matters but he also might be her only hope when she becomes the next target of the very man she’s trying to stop.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Getting into the meat of it. Enjoy~

A pair of Orens knocked on the rear entry door to Calypso Brothel first thing in the morning, one carrying a bag of potatoes and the other holding a box of assorted fruit. Helena opened the door and grinned at the children.

She stepped aside and motioned them inside. “Thank you both so much for that. I wouldn’t have had time to clean up if I had to go down to the pier myself.”

“Happy to help!” the oldest of the pair, a boy with gold hair and equally golden ears coupled with a bushy squirrel tail, yelled after setting down the box of fruit in the kitchen. Helena reached into the pouch on her waist and pulled out a lump of coins. The oldest Oren held his hand out and she placed them in his waiting palm. 

“Now hurry on home; your brother might start to worry.” Helena chided playfully. 

“Nah, Brala is still asleep. He works late every night.” the younger one, a little girl with black dog ears and a fluffy black tail to match, said with a grin that exposed a missing tooth. They both bowed and crowed their thanks before scampering off, giggling to each other over their morning haul. 

Helena watched them go with a smile on her face. The children of the slums were always so… good. It made her heart ache to think of what might become of them as they grew older. She only hoped they could stay out of the life she herself didn’t have much choice in living out. 

“Helena?” Magda’s sweet voice called out from the doorway to the kitchen. She watched for a moment as Helena put the groceries away. “Can I help with anything?”

“If you wouldn’t mind sorting through the fruit for me, I can take care of the potatoes.”

“Why do you have so many of them?” Magda asked. Helena laughed. 

“That’s right, you’d probably not know. We use them to distill the vodka we sell here. We’re running low so I put in the order last week.” she explained. Magda nodded and turned to sort the fruit. Helena slipped out of the kitchen with the bag of potatoes. 

Magda starting humming a song to herself as she worked, caught up in her own thoughts and missing it when Alice entered the room.

“Good morning, Marta!” she announced. Magda yelped, startled. She spun around to look at the other woman, a hand grasping at her chest in panic. 

“Goddess almighty! I nearly jumped out of my skin.” Magda gasped out. Alice laughed, her hands coming down on the table she stood in front of a little too hard. 

“Dear me, I seriously apologize. Didn’t mean to scare you.” Alice managed to say through her giggles. Magda couldn’t help but laugh with her.

“No, no. It’s fine! It’s my own fault for not being aware of my surroundings.”

“Can I help?” 

Magda nodded and made room for Alice to slide in beside her. 

“You ready for tonight?” Alice asked. Magda raised an eyebrow at her.

“What do you mean?” she asked, genuinely confused. Hosta hadn’t mentioned anything about tonight being special; maybe she’d dozed off when she told her?

“Oh nothing really; just, isn’t every night kind of like a party?” 

Magda paused and then nodded slowly. “I suppose. There is a lot of music and dancing and…” she trailed off, trying to find the right words.

“…sex?” Alice finished for her. She laughed and Magda gave her a slight smile. “You’ll get used to it.”

“T-to sex?” Magda sputtered, her face reddening. Alice nodded.

“You work in a brothel, darling. It’s bound to happen.”

“N-no. I’m just a waitress.”

“So you’ve never…” Alice trailed off, looking at Magda expectantly. Magda shook her head fiercely. Alice smiled coyly. “Such an innocent little flower.”

They finished the work in silence. Magda noticed Alice glance over at her every now and then and wondered if perhaps she knew Magda’s secret. The next thought in her head was how silly that was; no one would expect a noble to be hiding out in a brothel. 

“Do I have something on my face?” Magda asked, lifting a hand to scrub at the cheek facing Alice. Alice shook her head. 

“No, I’m sorry. I just couldn’t help myself. Your eyes,” she explained, “I’ve never seen anything like them. They’re gorgeous.” 

Magda blushed at her praise. “Thank you.”

“No, really; I’ve seen blue eyes before, but nothing like yours. Where are you from?” Alice asked, leaning back against the counter. 

“Um, here. F-finsel.”

“Really? Wow. I never would have guessed.” Alice wiped her hands on her skirt and gave Magda a winning smile. “I’ll see you later tonight then. Girl’s gotta get all dolled up for an event like this.”

And with a wink, she was gone. Magda carried the empty wooden box to the back door, bumped it open with her hip, and dumped it unceremoniously onto the cobblestone alleyway. 

“You’re really starting to look the part, kitten.” a deep voice came from the shadows. Magda looked up and met the wine-colored eyes of Blackgloves. He was leaning against the alley wall, his eyes blazing in the dim light. 

“Is it the dress?” Magda asked, tugging on the silky red dress that came above her knees in the front and trailed in the back to the ground. Sheer lace adorned the edges with a slit cut out in the waist exposing her midriff. Blackgloves chuckled and shook his head.

“As delightful as this little number is, and believe me, it is delightful,” his voice dropped as he walked slowly toward her, “I simply meant the work. A young noble like you… I can’t imagine you’ve ever had to do any manual labor in your life. Nor spent longer than a few hours in the slums of Finsel.”

Magda felt the anger run through her veins like fire. How dare he! “Do you presume to know me?” she demanded, eerily calm. “Because if so, I should have you know that I was not born to that life. I was born here, in the slums. Raised here. Had it not been for Lady Ellenstein, my working here could be a permanent position.”

Without giving him a chance to respond she spun on her heels and stormed inside, uttering a “good day, sir” through her teeth before slamming it closed behind her. 

~ ~ ~

“Drinks, my lords?” Magda asked, coming up to a trio of men laughing with a set of ladies. They each grabbed one and shooed her off, not sparing her a second glance, too caught up in the ladies with exposed cleavage batting their eyes at them.

As she walked the room, she blatantly made sure her eyes never strayed to Blackgloves who sat in the corner chatting with a pretty Oren woman Magda believed was named Eurielle. Blackgloves gently stroked one of her chestnut ears, sending the young woman into a fit of flirty giggles. 

Magda stubbornly refused to walk near him and offer one of her flutes, but she could feel his eyes on her as she moved through the room with a fake smile plastered on her face.

“And how much are you for an evening?” a slightly tipsy gentleman asked, grabbing her arm to stop her from passing by him. Magda’s fake smile nearly cracked, but she held it together. 

“Not for sale.” Blackgloves answered before she could. “At least, not tonight.”

The man looked like he wanted to say something, but shrugged and decided against it. He stumbled off and Blackgloves took the opportunity to drag Magda off into one of the curtained off sections surrounding the room. 

“What do you think you’re doing?” Magda hissed, still feeling irritated about their earlier discussion. 

“Looking after you. I did promise Hosta.” he answered matter-of-factly. Magda scoffed, crossing her arms over her chest. 

“I can take care of myself.”

Blackgloves rolled his eyes and took a seat on the sectional, a slight breath escaping him as he flopped rather unceremoniously on the red leather. He gave Magda a pointed stare and patted the spot next to him for her to join him. Magda pursed her lips and hesitated, but ultimately took up his unspoken offer with a roll of her eyes. 

She was careful not to sit too close, but Blackgloves was having none of that; he slid down the sofa til their sides touched and wrapped an arm around her shoulders to keep her from moving. Magda stubbornly refused to look at him and made a rather futile attempt to pull away. Blackgloves simply tightened his grip. 

“If anyone pops their head in here and sees us, we have to look the part, kitten.” he said, glancing at her out of the corner of his eye. “You don’t want to get caught, do you?”

“I hardly think anyone would realize who I am simply because I refuse to fawn all over you.” she snapped back but stopped struggling. He did have a point, she was loathed to admit. 

They sat in silence as the music and chatter served as background noise to drown it out. Magda was hyper-aware of Blackgloves being so close; she could still remember their encounter the last night she had worked. 

Magda felt her skin go hot as she remembered what it felt like to kiss him, to have his weight press her gently against the mattress as his hands explored her body. Warmth pooled in her stomach followed quickly by a surge of embarrassment; what was she thinking?

“How long do you intend to hold me here against my will?” Magda demanded, turning her face so she could glare at him. Blackgloves chuckled.

“Such fire… no one said you had to sit here with me, kitten.”

“Then what was the point of making me come here with you?”

Blackgloves shrugged, a teasing smirk on his lips. “I missed you is all. Plus,” his face changed almost instantly, growing rather serious, “I wanted to apologize for earlier. It wasn’t fair of me to judge you so harshly, especially since I never had to grow up in a place like this.”

“What do you mean?”

He hesitated and Magda saw his calm façade slip just slightly. “Perhaps some other time, kitten. I’m sure you want to get back to perusing the room.”

Magda stared at him for another moment longer before standing to her feet and leaving the curtained area as well as Blackgloves behind. She quickly made her way back to the kitchen to pick up some more drinks and found Alice sitting in the corner. Her head was in her hands and her knees were pulled up to her chest.

“Alice? Are you alright?” Magda asked quietly, setting her tray on the counter and crouching down beside the redhead. Alice sniffed and nodded, giving Magda a slight smile. Magda noticed the makeup running down her cheeks and felt her heart twinge painfully. 

“Did someone hurt you? Do I need to get Hosta?”

Alice shook her head. “Oh darling, it comes with the territory. Sometimes men can get a little rough. I suppose I’m still trying to get used to it.”

Magda gently touched the other woman’s back and gave her what she hoped was a comforting smile. 

“Do you mind if I sit here with you? Just for a little while?” she asked. Alice nodded and Magda carefully took a seat beside her. Alice gently rested her head on Magda’s shoulder. 

“Thank you. And I’m sorry that you have to see me like this.”

Magda shook her head. “Nonsense. I’m sorry that happened to you.”

“It’s just… he started acting really weird and tried to get me to go home with him, said that he had something there for me. Now, Hosta has been warning us about people like that, especially with all the disappearances happening—”

“Do you think he might be involved?” Magda interrupted, feeling her heart skip a beat. Alice shrugged.

“I don’t know, maybe. But when I refused he tried to grab me. I’m still surprised I managed to get away.”

“Did he leave or do you think he’s still here?” Magda asked. Her first real lead! She couldn’t let him get away. 

“He might still be here. He was wearing a black hat with a red feather in the brim.” Alice answered. “You should probably tell Hosta about him so she can make sure nothing happens to anyone.”

Magda hesitated. “Maybe I should check it out first; I don’t want Hosta to worry. And I don’t want to interrupt her… work if she’s busy.”

“Actually that sounds like a better idea. But let me come with you. Just in case.” Alice gave her a smile and Magda nodded. With another person there, she wouldn’t need to worry about anything. She’d be safer.

“That sounds good. Are you okay to go now?” Magda asked, trying to stay sympathetic. The other woman had just gone through a rather hard time after all. Alice nodded. 

“We can’t let him hurt anyone else. It’ll be safer together.” 

Magda stood and offered her hand to Alice. Alice took it and allowed herself to be brought to her own feet. Magda took the lead, missing the predatory smirk now gracing Alice’s features.


End file.
